Wednesday, 29 November 2017

Thought for the day:"Wrinkles mean you laughed, Grey Hair means you cared and scars mean you lived..."

Feeling old???

52 years ago (Nov. 29, 1965) the Berkshire Eagle printed a little article about two young men being fined 25 bucks for dumping trash. Little did we know at the time that the incident, which ran on page 25, would become the basis for Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. Here's our original story from 1965:

I've been singing this song for 52 years - I'm not proud....

Me?? I've been singing it since 1969. I learned it "on the Dilly" at Picadilly Circus sitting under Eros listening to an american who knew it. I didn't get it all down the first time - but managed to learn the guitar riff - or at least my version of it. The full text took the next year and the purchase of the LP.

But my highest point I think was on a trip across to Holland in about 1970, when I had practised and rehearsed my american accent until I was sure that it was almost exactly like the record. I was on a ferry heading across to Holland, and we were sitting in one of the corridors as a group - with a few guitars and a couple of singers for America. It came to my time, and I decided to take the bull by the horns, and so I did the Alice's Restaurant Massacree. I was quite proud to the rendition. Proud of my intonation. Proud of the guitar riff and remembering the whole song...

At the end, I was given a good applause and congratulations - until one of the girls said "Gee that was great !!! Never heard it with and English Accent before!!" I suppose my lilting tones of Haberdashers' Aske's School must have permeated my voice coaching...

I decided there and then to not worry to much about the accents, but like Sean Connery, decided to stick with my own dulcet tones. I no longer became a tribute act - but decided to form my own renditions of all songs. "That's not how the original went" became a compliment rather than a challenge. And so it continues until today...

Monday, 27 November 2017

Thought for the day:"Apparently, today is Pins And Needles Day. I have a tingly feeling about this one . . "

(thanks to Robert Lloyd)

Last year this photograph went viral as it showed a group of children sitting by Rembrandt's "The Night watch" apparently all playing with their phones instead of enjoying the art around them, in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Many thought this was a perfect metaphor for the way technology was ruining the lives of the young - indeed everyone.

Only, it seems that all is not as it seemed. The Museum had installed a special App which contained guided tours and information about the works on display. As a result, the children who had previously been admiring the works of art with adult tour guides, were then tasked by their teachers to complete and assignment using the Museum App.

All is not as it seems and everything that goes viral is not necessarily true - especially these days

But then again ...

Have a good day

(Last bottle of Chateau 41 is open - not sure how we get through the rest of the week- wish me luck)

Saturday, 25 November 2017

Thought for the day:"I have an EpiPen. My friend gave it to me when he was dying, it seemed very important to him that I have it."
Exactly a month to go until Christmas - except we are not celebrating on time this year - we don't have to so we won't!

In fact we will simply celebrate my daughter's birthday on the 25th and start Christmas a couple of days later - though I think that the Tree will go up on the 24th as normal...

But as things are not always as they seem... I came across Tom Bob, a street artist in New York and decided that his work was really powerful - a sort of different style Banksy - one with humour rather than apolitical message... I thought I would keep them here for posterity...

Friday, 24 November 2017

We have been nonchalantly looking at houses that we cannot afford - in Crete, and then I came across this little article which once again caught my attention.
Flat Pack houses have always fascinated me - with ideas of finding a patch of land and then getting on of the German flat packs delivered and put up in three days - or a Norwegian Log Cabin with all facilities - but this is a little more extreme...

"With housing crises plaguing countries around the world, architects have taken it upon themselves to find cost-effective solutions. The most popular - and seemingly most useful - of these solutions is micro-housing.

Micro-living is exactly what it sounds like - miniature homes - that are small enough to keep the costs low but just big enough to fit amenities like kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and dining areas.

Architect Renato Vidal from Italy is the latest to jump on the affordable housing bandwagon with his newest design - an affordable (£24,000 or $32,810) flat pack folding home that requires only 6-7 hours to build. And while style isn’t a necessity, Vidal has managed to make these tiny homes extremely sleek looking - and eco-friendly."

"The innovative M.A.Di houses, which are made in a factory, flat-packed, and then easily transported to virtually any location “can be built without the need for it to be constructed on concrete foundations.” The best part? The assembly process requires just three people and a few hours of manual labour. And for those looking to live green, the eco-friendly house has the capacity to become “completely off-grid with solar panels, LED lighting, and grey water systems.”

"The tiny house is available in a variety of sizes depending on budget and space needed. Currently, options range from a 290-square-foot tiny home with a one-stage staircase for £24.8K ($32.8K) to a 904-square-foot family home with a two-stage staircase that will cost you £54.9K ($72.8K)."

And if you ever decide you need a change of scenery, the M.A.Di home can be easily collapsed and moved to a new location.

Thursday, 23 November 2017

Thought for the day:"Some people are lost in their fires - others are forged in them"

So, the house is a little messy - but warmest it has been in years. All the radiators seem to work with the exception on one int he living room which we "adjusted" and stopped working - never mess with stuff just after the workmen have left!

There is furniture everywhere! "Stuff" in every room without a home - so the task of putting it all back together starts. Meanwhile the wind is whipping through the back door and the Dog flap is incapable of shutting - sot he kitchen is a little cooler - but that is okay.

Thermostat needs a little action and the Baxi Man is coming - sounds like a horror film to me - but he should be able to fix everything. With a chippy to put the kitchen cupboard back together and a bricky to put a block into the wall where the old flue went - the job will be finished - except fr some needed re-decoration due to radiator sizes these days being much more compact than in the old days so areas of wallpaper are missing.

But the house is warm - and that is a bonus. If I had to have an outside firepit - I might go for this one...

In other news, the budget came and went and nothing really seems to be startling this year - or I have got bored with the whole thing - not sure really....

Found this picture today - where an artist is using the dirt on the back of vans to create art instead of graffiti and "Wash Me". Was impressed.

So I was inspired to look for some more and there are hundreds out there- here are some of my favourites

About Me

From the frozen wastes of Northern Norsca, Vollsanger was a Skald of the old tradition - a Bard who was well schooled in the ancient songs and epic tales.

Coming out of the Skadi Mountains one day - he found the Crimson Moon Tavern in a glade with many strange people who had travelled great distances to meet up. The War Host!

Selling a song for a copper - writing songs on demand and entertaining the peoples of the factions. Vollsanger faces new challenges... LARP Awards Bard of the Year 2018. LARP & Re-enactment Skald.Guest Bard at the Conquest of Mythodea in Germany